Water and sewer enterprise fund: council hears overview of MWRA assessment, rates and billing questions
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Summary
The committee reviewed the enterprise fund budget and the Water Superintendent explained that MWRA assessment is a large component of the FY26 cost; the fund remains self-supporting but councilors asked for public explanation of rates and billing frequency.
City water and sewer officials told the Everett City Council Project Committee on June 3 that the bulk of the enterprise fund budget reflects the Metropolitan Water Resources Authority (MWRA) supply assessment and that the system remains self-supporting through user fees.
Water Superintendent David LaRiviere explained the enterprise fund approach: water and sewer operations are funded from user fees rather than the city's general fund. He said the MWRA assessment is the largest single line in the enterprise fund and noted the department builds its rate request to cover MWRA charges plus local operating costs and debt service.
Committee members asked whether Everett's retail rates are high. LaRiviere said Everett's bills compare favorably with other MWRA communities and cited a recent MWRA retail-rate survey showing Everett among the lower-cost communities that get water from the regional authority. He also described the department's leak-detection and meter-transmitter efforts that limit unbilled water loss.
Several councilors asked about billing frequency. The superintendent said monthly bills help the department and residents detect unexplained spikes quickly; committee discussion noted some constituents prefer quarterly billing but multiple councilors argued monthly statements alert residents to leaks or malfunctions sooner.
The committee approved the water and sewer enterprise budget. Members asked staff to consider additional outreach to explain rate-setting and how MWRA assessments and local operating costs combine to determine bills.
What comes next: City staff will provide materials that explain MWRA assessments, the enterprise fund structure and options for senior or low-income outreach explaining billing and monitoring tools.